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The Education Funding Advisory Board
has two sections of school code to address.
105 ILCS 5/18-8.05 (B) Foundation
Level.
(1) The Foundation Level is a figure
established by the State representing the minimum level of per pupil
financial support that should be available to provide for the basic
education of each pupil in Average Daily Attendance. As set forth
in this Section, each school district is assumed to exert a sufficient
local taxing effort such that, in combination with the aggregate
of general State financial aid provided the district, an aggregate
of State and local resources are available to meet the basic education
needs of pupils in the district.
(2) For the 1998-1999 school year, the
Foundation Level of support is $4,225. For the 1999-2000 school
year, the Foundation Level of support is $4,325. For the 2000-2001
school year, the Foundation Level of support is $4,425.
(3) For the 2001-2002 school year and
each school year thereafter, the Foundation Level of support is
$4,425 or such greater amount as may be established by law by the
General Assembly.
105 ILCS 5/18-8.05 (H) Supplemental
General State Aid.
(1) In addition to the general State
aid a school district is allotted pursuant to subsection (E), qualifying
school districts shall receive a grant, paid in conjunction with
a district's payments of general State aid, for supplemental general
State aid based upon the concentration level of children from low-income
households within the school district. Supplemental State aid grants
provided for school districts under this subsection shall be appropriated
for distribution to school districts as part of the same line item
in which the general State financial aid of school districts is
appropriated under this Section. For purposes of this subsection,
the term "Low-Income Concentration Level" shall be the
low-income eligible pupil count from the most recently available
federal census divided by the Average Daily Attendance of the school
district. If, however, the percentage decrease from the 2 most recent
federal censuses in the low-income eligible pupil count of a high
school district with fewer than 400 students exceeds by 75% or more
the percentage change in the total low-income eligible pupil count
of contiguous elementary school districts, whose boundaries are
coterminous with the high school district, the high school district's
low-income eligible pupil count from the earlier federal census
shall be the number used as the low-income eligible pupil count
for the high school district, for purposes of this subsection (H).
(2) Supplemental general State aid pursuant
to this subsection shall be provided as follows:
(a) For any school
district with a Low Income Concentration Level of at least 20% and
less than 35%, the grant for any school year shall be $800 multiplied
by the low income eligible pupil count.
(b) For any school
district with a Low Income Concentration Level of at least 35% and
less than 50%, the grant for the 1998-1999 school year shall be
$1,100 multiplied by the low income eligible pupil count.
(c) For any school
district with a Low Income Concentration Level of at least 50% and
less than 60%, the grant for the 1998-99 school year shall be $1,500
multiplied by the low income eligible pupil count.
(d) For any school
district with a Low Income Concentration Level of 60% or more, the
grant for the 1998-99 school year shall be $1,900 multiplied by
the low income eligible pupil count.
(e) For the 1999-2000
school year, the per pupil amount specified in subparagraphs (b),
(c), and (d) immediately above shall be increased to $1,243, $1,600,
and $2,000, respectively.
(f) For the 2000-2001
school year, the per pupil amounts specified in subparagraphs (b),
(c), and (d) immediately above shall be $1,273, $1,640, and $2,050,
respectively.
(3) School districts with an Average
Daily Attendance of more than 1,000 and less than 50,000 that qualify
for supplemental general State aid pursuant to this subsection shall
submit a plan to the State Board of Education prior to October 30
of each year for the use of the funds resulting from this grant
of supplemental general State aid for the improvement of instruction
in which priority is given to meeting the education needs of disadvantaged
children. Such plan shall be submitted in accordance with rules
and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education.
(4) School districts with an Average
Daily Attendance of 50,000 or more that qualify for supplemental
general State aid pursuant to this subsection shall be required
to distribute from funds available pursuant to this Section, no
less than $261,000,000 in accordance with the following requirements:
(a) The required amounts
shall be distributed to the attendance centers within the district
in proportion to the number of pupils enrolled at each attendance
center who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches
or breakfasts under the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and
under the National School Lunch Act during the immediately preceding
school year.
(b) The distribution
of these portions of supplemental and general State aid among attendance
centers according to these requirements shall not be compensated
for or contravened by adjustments of the total of other funds appropriated
to any attendance centers, and the Board of Education shall utilize
funding from one or several sources in order to fully implement
this provision annually prior to the opening of school.
(c) Each attendance
center shall be provided by the school district a distribution of
noncategorical funds and other categorical funds to which an attendance
center is entitled under law in order that the general State aid
and supplemental general State aid provided by application of this
subsection supplements rather than supplants the noncategorical
funds and other categorical funds provided by the school district
to the attendance centers.
(d) Any funds made
available under this subsection that by reason of the provisions
of this subsection are not required to be allocated and provided
to attendance centers may be used and appropriated by the board
of the district for any lawful school purpose.
(e) Funds received
by an attendance center pursuant to this subsection shall be used
by the attendance center at the discretion of the principal and
local school council for programs to improve educational opportunities
at qualifying schools through the following programs and services:
early childhood education, reduced class size or improved adult
to student classroom ratio, enrichment programs, remedial assistance,
attendance improvement, and other educationally beneficial expenditures
which supplement the regular and basic programs as determined by
the State Board of Education. Funds provided shall not be expended
for any political or lobbying purposes as defined by board rule.
(f) Each district
subject to the provisions of this subdivision (H)(4) shall submit
an acceptable plan to meet the educational needs of disadvantaged
children, in compliance with the requirements of this paragraph,
to the State Board of Education prior to July 15 of each year. This
plan shall be consistent with the decisions of local school councils
concerning the school expenditure plans developed in accordance
with part 4 of Section 34-2.3. The State Board shall approve or
reject the plan within 60 days after its submission. If the plan
is rejected, the district shall give written notice of intent to
modify the plan within 15 days of the notification of rejection
and then submit a modified plan within 30 days after the date of
the written notice of intent to modify. Districts may amend approved
plans pursuant to rules promulgated by the State Board of Education.
Upon notification by the State Board of Education
that the district has not submitted a plan prior to July 15 or a
modified plan within the time period specified herein, the State
aid funds affected by that plan or modified plan shall be withheld
by the State Board of Education until a plan or modified plan is
submitted.
If the district fails to distribute State aid
to attendance centers in accordance with an approved plan, the plan
for the following year shall allocate funds, in addition to the
funds otherwise required by this subsection, to those attendance
centers which were underfunded during the previous year in amounts
equal to such underfunding.
For purposes of determining compliance with
this subsection in relation to the requirements of attendance center
funding, each district subject to the provisions of this subsection
shall submit as a separate document by December 1 of each year a
report of expenditure data for the prior year in addition to any
modification of its current plan. If it is determined that there
has been a failure to comply with the expenditure provisions of
this subsection regarding contravention or supplanting, the State
Superintendent of Education shall, within 60 days of receipt of
the report, notify the district and any affected local school council.
The district shall within 45 days of receipt of that notification
inform the State Superintendent of Education of the remedial or
corrective action to be taken, whether by amendment of the current
plan, if feasible, or by adjustment in the plan for the following
year. Failure to provide the expenditure report or the notification
of remedial or corrective action in a timely manner shall result
in a withholding of the affected funds.
The State Board of Education shall promulgate
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection.
No funds shall be released under this subdivision (H)(4) to any
district that has not submitted a plan that has been approved by
the State Board of Education.
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